Package delivery chute



March 4, 1952 P. T. MCQUEEN 2,588,142

PACKAGE DELIVERY CHUTE Filed Feb. 20, 194e Patented Mar. 4, 1952 UNITED PATENT o'FEl-CE PACKAGE DELIVERY CHUTE' PeterrT. McQueen, Milnat/hort, Scotland, assignor of one-thirdto William Watson Bowie and onethird jto Herbert Gibson, Edinburgh, Scotland Application February 20, 1948, Serial No. 9,815 n, fr, n InGreatBritain July.9, 194,6 v u sevctioi urblnij'c Law 69o, Augsfs, 1946 Y `Patent expires 9,1966 v This invention relates to chute for delivering packages from higher to a lower level, andA to means for retarding the descent ofthe packages. The invention is rparticularly applicable to the delivery of heavy or bulky packages, v.including sacks, bags and the like, vthrough a verticalor steeply inclined chute, from anV upper storey of a building to a lower storey or to ground level.l

The invention consists in the provision of means for controlling the descent of the packages comprising a retarding Vwall movably suspended from a' fixed support in an inwardly and downwardly inclined directionwithin the chute; a cushioning wall movably suspended from said retarding wall, and resilient means normally holding said walls in a position in which they Will enga-ge a descending package, said resilient means controlling yielding Vmovement of said walls under the pressure of the package thereon. The retarding Wall is preferably hinged at its upper edge to one wall of the chute, means being provided for supporting the retarding wall in an inclined position in which it partly obstructs the passage of the package through the chute and the said supportingV means is arranged to permit the retarding wall to yield on impact of the package thereon. Resilient means are provided for controlling yielding movement of the said retarding wall so that such movement occursgradually and progressively until the package passes the lower edge of the'retarding Wall.

vThe cushioning wall is preferably pivotally'suspended in a vertical or substantially' vertical po'- sition from `the lower edge of the retarding wall and is preferably also provided with its own resilient means for holding it substantially in such position lwhile permitting the cushioning wall to yield under the pressure of the package thereon as the package descends the chute. The speed of' descent of the package is' thus controlled.

In carrying out the invention, the lower edge of the retarding Wall may be controlled by means of pulley tackle comprising ropes or cables attached at one end to the lower part of the retarding wall and passing over pulleys on the chute to a 'counterweight orl weighted crossbar, movement of which is controlled by a, cataract, dashpot or other hydraulic or fluid-friction buffer device for controlling movement of the ropes' or cables. Projections at the ends of the lower edge of the retarding wall may engage `in arcuate slots or guides in or on the side walls of the chute.

The cushioning wall'may be'hingedly suspended from the lower edge of'the'retarding wall and ,the lower end ofthe'cushioning wall may be I guided "by projections soumis.; (ol. l19e-"3.2i

2 t thereon engaging in suitable vslots or guides in or on the side walls of, the chute. The lower end of the cushioningwall is controlled; in like manner to the upper wall, Yby

Y means of Vcounterweighted pulley tacklekmechanism controlled' by a cataract, dashpot or other buffer device. Y A 'Y The packages descending the chute may bedelivered'on to laixed or adjustable inclined platform arranged to discharge the packages through an opening'in theside-of the chute.-

If required, there may be two or more similar resiliently controlledY cushioning Walls pendulously suspended 'from one another, according tov the length ofthe chute,v v

The apparatus according'to my invention mayv be tted inthechute between any two adjacent floors of the building, and such apparatus may be tted'tothefchute above each floor, in whichv case adjustable or movableshutters provided in4 the chute at floor level can be'adapted'togbeV swung opjen topermit-"the packages' to".be deliveredjto any desired'lower level. Y(

The invention may-also be appliedto a portable chute'adaptedeto lbe positioned beneath an open-l ing or trap door in the oor ofthe building.- i `For boxes, cases or like packages ofiwood-,or` metal, the retarding wall Aand cushioningwallfor- Walls may be tted with xed'metal runnersor guides to Ywithstand-wearjjand '"to guide-the package in its'olescent.` y f f In' order that the *delivery 1 of packagesf` at thje;

receiving end may be controlled, remote ,control or emergency stop mechanism operable fromthe; receivingfend of the chute rmay-be providedforreleasably locking `the retarding wall and/,0r cushioning wall or Walls against yielding move-wv ment, so-'as to prevent the descent ofthe pack-l ages. 1 'Y l 1 The invention will be more readilyunderstood by reference tothe accompanyingdrawings which" illustrate one, example ofa chutel according to the finvention'in sectional side viewin and infrear view in Fig.l 2,r the outer wall-being removed-in i Fig; 2'. toisliowA `the a mechanism; v, f The chute' illustrated has front and'rear outer vertical-wallsyl andy 2;fandouter sideqwalls 3. Spaced from the rear Wall 2 is an inner vertical Wall 4 which forms lthe rear/Wall of thev passage through the chute. Y Pivotally suspended-from a pivot 5 at the upper end of. theI front. of the chute isagretarding Wall or ap li` normallyfheld" in @thel inclined. position shown inI full lines-inf Fig.` 1 by.' theattachment ofl the lower'edgepfuthe, flapl 6 to cords Yor Ycables lwhich passV rearwards over pulleys 8 to a, counterweight 9 slidably guided by means of fixed vertical guides I in the space between the inner rear wall 4 and the outer rear wall 3, The flap 6 swings .between inner sidewalls I I which are spaced from the outer side walls 3. The cables 1 are attached to the ends of a hinge pin I2 which is carried by the lower edge of the flap 6 and projects at its ends beyond the side edges of the flap 6 and through arcuate slots I3 formed concentric with the hinge pin 5 in the inner side walls II.A The cables 'l pass from the pulleys 8 to the hinge pin |2 on the outside of the side walls I I, which form the side walls of the passage-way through the chute.

When a package is dropped into the mouth A of the chute, it presses on the flap 6, which yields and raises the weight 9 by its connection thereto. Rising movement of the weight B is controlled by the attachment of the weight to a piston rod |4, the piston of which movesin a cylinder I5, connected'by a pipe I6 to a tank I'I ro'r oil or other liquid. A valve 8. controls the outlet from the cylinder I5 to the tank I1 and a control member I9 fitted to the valve I8 behindthe rear wall 2 enables the rate of ilow of-liquid from the cylinder I5 to be controlled, thus controlling the rate of upward movement ofthe weight 9 and consequently controlling the speed at which the flap 6 can yield. The cylinder I5 is shown suspended from a cross rod 20, but it may be mounted in any other convenient manner.

Suspended from the hinge pin I2 and free to hang between the inner side walls I I of the chute is a cushioning wall 2| which may be of any desired length, its lower edge carrying a hinge pin 22, the ends of which work in openings 23 in the inner side walls The hinge pin 22 is controlled in a similar manner to the hinge pin I2 by connecting it to cables 2l passing over pulleys 28 to a weight 29 guided by guides Illa and attached to the piston rod |4a of a cylinder I5a which has its outlet connected to the pipe I6 through a valve |8a controlled by means of a control member I9a. It will be apparent that movement of the lower end of the movable wall 2| away from the Xed inner rear wall 4 is thus controlled by the rate at which fluid lcan escape from the cylinder |5a.

'As shown in broken lines in Fig. l, when the flap 6 yields to the position shown at 6a, the movable wall 2| will initially occupy the inclined position shown at 2Ia until the controlled descent of the package down the chute presses the movable wall into the vertical position shown at 2lb, when the package will be released, and-falls on to a discharging platform 24 which deflects the package through an opening 25 in the front of the chute. 'I'he discharging platform 24 may be xed or adjustable. On the drawings the lower end of the platform 24 is shown supported on a,cross rod 26 cranked at its ends at 26a, the cranked ends being rotatably received in slots provided in slotted plates 32 xed to the side walls I. Two or more slots are provided in each plate 32 so that the cross rod 26 can be raised or lowered to raise or lower the discharge `platform 24. A lever 33 swivelled on a downturned end of one of the cranked portions of the rod 26enables the cross rod to -be rotated through any desired angle, thus raising or lowering theA lower end of the platform 24, and moving it backwards or forwards about the axis ofV the.

The lever -33 has one or `more. holes 34 which can be engaged with pins 35 on the side wall 3 to lock the platform 24 in position after adjustment.

The lower.. end`v` of tha movable wall- 2| may have. a flap or extension 3,ll ,p, ivo tally suspended therefrom and connected at its lower edge to the lower edge of the front wall I of the chute by a ilexible curtain 3| to permit the flap 30 to yield freely for the passage of the package.

If desiredA the flap 3D may be yieldingly controlled in like manner to the flap 6 and wall 2|.

Thechute may be either vertical or steeply inclined and maybe duplicated, one chute discharging into a. lower chute disposed either1 directly under the upper chute or in staggered relationthereto, and movable or adjustable shutters maybe provided between upper and lower chute for discharging the packages at a point intermediate the chutelwhen desired.

By regulating the valves I8 and I8a, the speed atwhich the fluid-.isejected from the cylinders I5 and |5amay be adjustedto control the rate of yielding movement of the ap 6 and wall 2|, and thus control the speed of descent of the package through the chute, and by closing either of the valves I8 and I8a, the descent of the package may bel arrested.

I claim:

l. In a package delivery chute, a retarding wall movably suspended from a fixed support in an inwardly and downwardly inclined direction within the chute, a cushioning wall movably suspended at its upper end from said retarding wall, and resilient means normally holding said walls in a' position tov engage a descending package within the chute. and controlling yielding movement of said walls to control the rate of descent of the descending package undery the. pressure of the package thereon.

2. In a package delivery chute, a retarding wall hinged at its upper edge to a xed support, means yieldingly maintaining-said wall in a position in which it partly obstructs the chute, a cushioning wall pivotally suspended at its upper end from the lower edge of said yretarding wall, and cushioning means normally maintaining said cushioning wall inyieldingly suspended position.

3. In a package delivery chute, a retarding wall movably suspended from a fixed support in an inwardly andA downwardly inclined position within the upper partof-the. chute, cushioning means permitting controlled yielding movement of said wall to permit controlled passage of a descending package past said wall, means for regulating said cushioningmeans to vary the rate of yielding movement of said wall, a cushioning wall freely suspended at its upper end from the lower edge of said retarding wall, and adjustable cushioning means acting on said cushioning wall to permit controlledyielding, movement thereof in contact with the descending package.

4. A package delivery chutehaving rigid walls defining' three sidesof the chute, a retarding wall movably.. suspended at its upper end in said chute,.means urging said retarding wall inwardly into an inwardly and downwardly inclined position, means. limiting inward movement of said retarding wal1,a cushioning wall suspended at its upper .end from said retarding wall, means urging the lower endof said cushioning wall inwards, and means. limiting inward movement of said cushioning wall.,-

5. A package delivery chute lhaving rigid walls defining three sides of the chute, a movably suspended ap deiiningtheA fourth sideof the upper- 5 part of said chute, resilient mechanism acting on said ap to yieldingly urge the lower end of said ap inwards, means limiting inward movement of said flap, a cushioning wall suspended from said ap, resilient mechanism acting on said cushioning wall to yieldingly urge'it to move inwards, and means limiting inward movement of said cushioning wall.

6. A package delivery chute having rigid walls dening three sides thereof, a hingedly suspended iiap defining the fourth side of the upper part of said chute, a cushioning wall pendulously supported from said ap and dening the fourth side of said chute below said flap, mechanism connected to and urging the lower end of said ap and the upper end of said cushioning wall inwards, means limiting such inward movement, means acting to move the lower end of said cushioning wall inwards, and means limiting inward movement of the lower end of said cushioning wall.

7. A package delivery chute comprising rigid walls defining three sides thereof, a flap defining the fourth side of the upper part of said chute, hinge means for the upper end of said ap, a cushioning wall defining the fourth side of said chute below said ap, a hinge connecting the lower end of said flap to the upper end of said cushioning wall, means permitting limited travel of said hinge in an arcuate path concentric with the axis of the hinge means for the upper end of said flap, means resiliently acting on said hinge to move the lower end of said ap and said cushioning wall inwards into the chute, and means resiliently controlling the position of the lower end of said cushioning wall.

8. A chute as specied in claim 7 in which the hinge is connected to resilient controlling means.

PETER T. MCQUEEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date A 442,702 Emerson et al Dec. 16, 1890 670,940 Schreder Apr. 2, 1901 924,351 Hitchcock June 8, 1909 1,879,944 Muth Sept. 27, 1932 2,120,506 ORourke June 14, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 601,990 France Dec. 16, 1925 652,992 Germany Nov. 12, 1937 

